Abandoned Scottish mansion once home of head of Tennent's reclaimed by nature
New photographs show a ruined Scottish castle that was once home to the head of Tennent's brewery. As seen in the images, the once-grand property is being reclaimed by nature.
Dunalastair House is situated in a green setting in the southern Highlands, 18 miles from the Perthshire town of Pitlochry. However, the recent photos show it as a shadow of its former self.
The property was built in 1859 by local architect Andrew Heiton. It was originally the home of General Sir John Macdonald, who commanded land forces in Scotland.
In the early 1880s, Sir John's son Alastair sold the property to Hugh Tennent—the great-great-grandson of the Wellpark Brewery founder of the same name. Now known as Tennent's Brewery, it produces the best-selling beer in Scotland.
Tennent owned the mansion for just nine years, before he died at age 27. During World War Two, Dunalastair House was used as a school for the children of Polish refugees.
However, the property experienced a catastrophic fire that destroyed a valuable painting by John Everett Millais. It fell into disuse by 1952, before its contents were sold at auction two years after.
The abandoned Dunalastair House later became a hotspot for vandals in the 1960s. When thieves stole the lead from the roof, the building quickly fell into a state of decay.
After this, deer fences were constructed around the property to keep potential trespassers out. Today, the imposing structure has been taken over by trees, nettles, and bracken.
Many proposals to restore the mansion have been made. However, none have succeeded because of the price and extent of the repairs needed.
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